Our Research

Our Research

Committed to making children and families healthier, Connecticut Children’s talented medical professionals are at the forefront of research and clinical trials. Such scientific inquiries change the future of children’s healthcare. From fundamental molecular science that helps us understand diseases at the most basic level, to motion studies designed to discover new ways for young athletes to avoid injuries and clinical trials that establish the most effective and efficient protocols for treating children, Connecticut Children’s is a research leader.

For example, Connecticut Children’s Division of Hematology & Oncology is engaged in conducting more than 100 active clinical trials and research studies through the Children’s Oncology Group, the Neuroblastoma and Medulloblastoma Treatment Research Consortium, the Pediatric Cancer Foundation's Sunshine Project, the SunCoast Community Clinical Oncology Program, and Pharmaceutic Company Sponsors. This number of open protocols distinguishes Connecticut Children’s Hematology & Oncology division among the top 20 percent among its peers. Additionally, the division is in the top third percentile for total pediatric cancer patients enrolled in trials. This is especially impressive given that Connecticut Children’s is considered one of the smaller free-standing children’s hospitals in the country.

Connecticut Children’s commitment to research attracts some of the best talent in pediatrics. Research currently underway includes:

Fernando Ferrer, MD, surgeon-in-chief, is pursuing groundbreaking research that he hopes will one day prevent the development and spread of the solid tumors he now surgically removes from children with cancer.

Christine Finck, MD, is working to save more lives of premature infants by finding a way to engineer lung tissue. Compromised lungs, which she currently repairs surgically, are the chief problem for premature infants.

Jeffrey Hyams, MD, is leading a first-of-its-kind five-year study on the effects of standardized therapy for children with ulcerative colitis. As part of this research, Dr. Hyams has enlisted 25 leading pediatric institutions throughout the United States and Canada to participate in the study.

Juan Salazar, MD, physician-in-chief, is reducing rates of congenital syphilis in Haiti and Columbia by creating a program that performs rapid testing and treatment of pregnant women.

Connecticut Children's Medical Center

Connecticut Children's Medical Center is a nationally recognized, 187-bed not-for-profit children's hospital serving as the primary teaching hospital for the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine. Named among the best in the nation for several of its pediatric specialties in the annual U.S. News & World Report "Best Children's Hospitals" rankings, Connecticut Children's is the only free-standing children's hospital in Connecticut that offers comprehensive, world-class health care to children.